1985
This was the year the Lincoln Park Spectator published pictures of the Pride parade under the headline: "Above The Fruited Plain." The Sun-Times wrote a fair-minded article, but for the second year running The Chicago Tribune ignored a gathering of 50,000 people in New Town. There were 120 parade entrants and Mayor Harold Washington spoke at the rally afterwards. The Trianon bar won the the Best Overall Float award, with other prizes going to the Baton ( Business ) ; Windy City Gay Chorus ( Organization ) ; Hunter's ( Best use of Pride theme—"Alive With Pride" ) ; and Rod's ( special judge's award ) .
A group of Nazi's masquerading under the name of "Christians for Decency" demonstrated against the gay parade at the south end of Lincoln Park, as they did in 1982.
1986
Thirty members of the KKK spouted anti-gay sentiments in the free speech area of Lincoln Park, while Mayor Harold Washington reaffirmed his commitment to gay and lesbian rights at the parade rally. He said, "As a Black man who has suffered discrimination ... as part of a race of people who have suffered ... I am not about to let discrimination exist as long as I'm the mayor of this city."
In addition to Chicago's three gay choruses, the crowds were entertained by the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles and the Fest City Singers from Milwaukee.
1987
The theme of the parade was "Proud, Strong and United!" and although the occasion was joyous, there was an underlying sense urgency and purpose, as the crowd shouted "Veto! Veto!" At the time there was legislation mandating the tracing of sexual contacts of persons diagnosed with AIDS or testing positive for HIV. The call was for Gov. James Thompson to veto the bill
Among the politicians who took part in the parade were Alds. Bernie Hansen ( 44th ) , Kathy Osterman ( 48th ) , and David Orr ( 49th ) , state Sen. William Marovitz, state Rep. Ellis Levin, and 9th District Democratic Committeewoman Adrienne Goodman.
1988
This year the parade was notable for the absence of acting Mayor Eugene Sawyer, who failed to turn up as promised; he was at a meeting of the Masons on the South Side. There was a record crowd of 90,000 people and 140 entries. Leading the parade from Halsted and Grace was the Rightfully Proud float, followed by members of the Lambda Car Club. The parade took an hour and a half to pass by, and the most popular entries with the crowd were PFLAG and Paris Dance's All Girls' Kazoo Band.
Prizes went to Nationwide Video for the Best All Around Float, Berlin ( Business ) , and the NAMES Project ( Best Organization ) .
1989
Mayor Richard Daley became the first sitting mayor of Chicago to march in the Gay and Lesbian Pride parade. Although he started out riding, his car overheated at Broadway and Belmont, and he walked the rest of the way. Asked why he was marching in the parade, Daley replied, "I am the Mayor for all Chicago." Daley didn't speak at the rally, unlike Washington.
Providing rally entertainment were the street theater group Wizard of A.I.D.S., and the rock group Women of All Sexes. There were also after-the-rally parties, the most notable being Horizons Community Services fundraiser at Clubland which included performances by The Weather Girls and Linda Clifford.
1990
The 21st annual Gay and Lesbian Pride parade drew a crowd of more than 100,000, and had the theme of "Looking To The Future." Out of the 186 entries, 51 of them were political. Mayor Daley waved to the crowd from the back of a white convertible.
Along the route, the STOP AIDS Project did a line dance called the "safe sex shuffle,' wearing shirts that read, "Wanna Practice?" Joanne Trapani, co-chair of the Illinois Gay and Lesbian Task Force, spoke about the importance of working for domestic-partnership legislation. Anna Bata and Danny Sotomayor, representing ACT UP, told the crowd, "There's no going back—our only chance is to fight back. We have the power to force change." Veteran activist Barbara Gittings also spoke at the rally, as did Laurie Dittman, Midwest Director of the Human Rights Campaign Fund.
1991
"Together In Pride" was the theme this year, and the parade stepped out from Halsted and Roscoe. This year Mayor Daley issued a proclamation naming June 21-30 Gay and Lesbian Pride Week. The keynote speaker at the rally was Urvashi Vaid, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
The entertainment was provided by the group "because," Linda Boyle, Troi & The New Concepts, Joan Baby, Ellen Rosner and Dianne Laffey, Chi-Town Squares and Chicago Women's Seido Karate.
Other events during Pride month included Horizons' 3rd "Dancing With Pride" event, out under the stars in Ann Sather's parking lot.
1992
More than 105,000 people attended the parade this year and the theme was "Pride = Power." Pride buttons cost $1 each and T-shirts were $10-$12. Keynote speakers at the rally were NOW President Patricia Ireland, openly lesbian NOW National Vice President Rosemary Dempsey, and Jim English, the active Army Guard Reservist who was forced out of the military after posing for a cover of Gay Chicago. Others who marched were Chicago Commission on Human Relations Chair Clarence Wood and new Police Supt. Matt Rodriguez.
The crowd was entertained by the Washington Sisters, Joan Jett Blakk, The ( Can't Keep A ) Secret Service Band, and the Beat Monkeys.
1993
This year's parade came two months after the March on Washington. The theme was "A Family of Pride." Sen. Carol Moseley Braun became the first U.S. senator to march. The parade stepped off from a new location this year, the corner of Belmont and Halsted. The first car in the parade carried Larry McKeon ( representing the Mayor ) and Dorothy Hadjys, mother of slain gay sailor Allen Schindler.
Pride month events included the Girth and Mirth annual picnic ( June 20 ) , and the Kinheart Women's Center hosting a Pride Dance at Ann Sather's with DJ Diana Faust ( June 26 ) . The 5th annual Bailiwick Pride Performance series opened in late May and ran through August. The series featured Son of Fire by Christopher Moore, directed by David Zak, and Lesbomania by Nightlines columnist Jorjet Harper, among others.
1994
This was the year of the 25th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, but in Chicago an estimated 160,000 turned out for the parade. Politicians who marched included gay judicial candidate Tom Chiola, gay aldermanic candidate Marc Loveless, as well as statewide candidates: Democrat Dawn Clark Netsch ( for governor ) , Al Hofeld ( attorney general Democratic candidate ) , Patrick Quinn ( Democrat for treasurer ) , and Loleta Didrickson ( Republican comptroller candidate ) . Mayor Daley didn't attend this year—he decided to take Sundays off.
This was the first year that the Illinois General Assembly passed a resolution for the parade, extending "our deep appreciation and support for the 1994 Chicago Gay and Lesbian Pride parade and Rally/Music Fest."
1995
June 1995 was packed with events to celebrate Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. The Lambda Literary awards took place at the Palmer House Hilton ( June 2 ) , Woman Made Gallery had their "Gayly Forward" exhibit with artwork by lesbian artists, including Marcia Grubb, Gisele Parreault, Judith Anderson and Ann Tyler, among others. On June 16, the Windy City Chorus/UNISON and Windy City Slickers had their Pride Concert "Different Pieces, Same Pie." The Pride parade stepped off at 2 p.m. June 25, and the floats were lined up from Belmont to Belden. On June 28 the In The Life summer Pride episode was shown on WTTW-Channel 11.
1996
This year's Pride parade had an unscheduled appearance by Rev. Fred Phelps and his family and friends. Phelps picketed what he called the "Fag Death March in Chicago." Speakers at the rally included Candace Gingrich, sister of Newt. Entertainment was by openly gay singer Rus McCoy, the multi-racial Hi Tops group, and The Primal Connection percussion ensemble.
This was also the year of the 1st Dyke March June 29, with drumming by the Women's Action Coalition Drum Corp. There was a pre-march rally on the corner of Melrose and Broadway at 7:30 p.m., and the event stepped off at 8 p.m.
1997
"Equality Through Visibility" was this year's Pride theme. At the rally afterwards the crowds were entertained by Pulsation, Mollycoddle, and Honey West. The featured speaker was Frank Buttino, an openly gay former FBI agent and author. There were parties all day June 29: Big Chicks had a huge Pride BBQ, the Lesbian Avengers, who had girlcotted the Pride parade, held an alternative cookout at Foster and the Lake, which they called "Wake Up And Smell The Sexism." The Association of Latin Men for Action held a Pride party for Latino y Latinas at Lolita's at Clark and Montrose.
1998
Two hundred thousand people and 257 entries braved the blistering heat of Chicago's 29th annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade. Crowd pleasers included the kilt-clad Righteously Outrageous Twirling Corps and Dykes on Bikes. Other entries included a rainbow-colored Chinese Dragon, and a 50-ft flag carried by the Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Veteran's of America. Openly gay former National Football League player David Kopay spoke at the rally.
Thousands of African-Americans also attended the annual Rocks Party, where Sherri Payne emceed in the main tent, and DJs Tut, Ron Carroll and several others spun the music. At the 3rd annual Dyke March in Andersonville this year, one woman carried a sign that read: "My Goddess Gave Birth to Your God."
1999
The streets were packed with onlookers 10 deep as 300,000 people attended the 30th annual Gay and Lesbian Pride parade. The rain cleared up just in time for the kick-off; it hadn't rained on a Chicago Gay parade for 14 years.
Special guests were Candace Gingrich and Greg Louganis. This was the year that Queer to the Left put up big dollar signs on the Northhalsted rainbow pylons, protesting consumerism in the gay community. The group's banner read, "Your Pride—Their Profits."
Several thousand lesbians attended the Dyke March in Andersonville, and this was the year of the 1st official Black Pride Weekend, Independence Day.
